No man has done more to chase aggressive tackling from the English game than Arsene Wenger.

His crusade was driven by serious injuries to Eduardo, Aaron Ramsey and Abou Diaby when Arsenal passed the ball slicker and quicker than most.

But on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium Wenger witnessed the point it has reached and made no attempt to pretend Vincent Kompany's tackle on Jack Wilshere was dangerous or deserved the red card it got. Defenders stand bewildered.

Distraught: Vincent Kompany was shocked to be sent off after tackling Jack Wilshere at the Emirates

Can they tackle? Should they tackle and risk a dismissal? Or stand back, let the attacker skip by and risk the wrath of the manager?

Kompany's fellow Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta said: 'It is difficult to understand what we have to do. Defenders run the risk of being sent off with every tackle.'

Many professionals seem to agree, though this is no consolation for Kompany.

City have appealed against his sending-off but must prove to a disciplinary commission that referee Mike Dean made an obvious mistake.

Graeme Souness, who once ruled Liverpool's midfield with studs up and a snarl, argued on TV that 'by the letter of the law' a red card was the right decision.

Ball winner: Kompany (right) won the ball against Wilshere, but was sent off by referee Mike Dean

Reminiscent: Kompany was dismissed after a similar challenge on Manchester United's Nani in an FA Cup tie last season

If there is any debate, it probably cannot be categorised as an 'obvious mistake'.

Where does that leave football? Speeding towards a future as a non-contact sport? Or split into two codes, where fullblooded tackling is allowed in one but not the other? Are the ruling bodies in pursuit of football where nobody gets hurt?

Nobody wants to see injuries like Eduardo's but injuries happen. Wenger may argue the physical aspect of the English game has helped to hold it back. He likes defenders to read the game and pinch possession.

Yet, for some, this erosion of contact supports the argument football is being over-sanitised. Ticket prices are spiralling and all-seat stadiums are designed primarily for corporate events.

On the pitch, tacklers are unsure and divers take advantage. In an exclusive Sportsmail interview last month, Everton's England centre half, Phil Jagielka, explained the fear that haunts defenders these days.

'It's like telling a dribbler you can't take a defender on more than twice because you're making him look bad,' he said.

Dilemma: Pablo Zabaleta (left) believes defenders are at risk of receiving a red card every time they make a challenge

Dogged: Zabaleta, an able right back, is adept in the tackle

'Different people have different skills. If you can win the ball and you're not studs up, halfway up his leg, and your momentum takes the guy out and he ends up on the floor with a little bruise, then why shouldn't that be a legal tackle?

Former Chelsea defender Ron Harris said: 'When a defender slides in on a wet pitch and plays the ball and the man falls over, it brings the crowd to their feet.'

'Chopper' Harris made his name as a bloodthirsty tackler, Jagielka and Zabaleta are defenders, as was Alan Hansen, who wrote in the Daily Telegraph that we can conclude 'tackling is gone forever' if Kompany's red card is not rescinded.

Ferocity: Ron Harris (right), pictured with George Best, believes tackling is a vital part of the game

Matt Le Tissier said on Twitter: 'Can anyone who has played football at any standard honestly say @vincentkompany's tackle was dangerous to Jack Wilshere? #gamesgone. Not blaming the ref as such but the law needs looking at.'

Lawmakers are unlikely to retreat. Nobody wants an angry manager to blame them when another leg break happens. FIFA eased the rules at the start of the season on rerefereeing games.

Among other things - like diving - it opened a path for challenges to be reviewed using video evidence.

The FA chose not to change policy, thinking such a safety net would lead to more cards in the knowledge they could be wiped out on Monday.